1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flow lines located between two points within a body of water, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to a flow line bundle including a plurality of flow lines disposed in a tubular covering member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,677,302 and 3,526,086, both to Morgan, each show pluralities of conduits disposed within a tubular covering member. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,086, however, the space between the conduits and the covering member is filled with a solid material 30, so that such a space could not be filled with sea water. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,302, the tubular covering member includes a plurality of articulated joint portions, and the covering member is not sealed at those joints, so that the combination of the conduits and the covering member would never be buoyant. Furthermore, the structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,302 comprises a riser assembly, rather than a flow line bundle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,120,168 and 4,052,862, both to Lamy, disclose a single conduit located within a tubular covering. Spacers are connected between the conduit and the covering, and a space between the conduit and the covering may be filled with water.
The prior art includes methods of towing a tubular member through a body of water by constructing the tubular member so that it is neutrally buoyant at a position located above a floor of the body of water, with weight means partially engaging the floor of the body of the water. Such a structure is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,933 to Lamy. Other disclosures of that general type are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,844 to Lamy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,729 to Kermel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,275 to Perret and U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,909 to Daughtry.
Additionally U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,909 shows, at FIG. 8 thereof, a method for pulling in an end of a tubular member for connection to a subsea structure. Another apparatus for pulling in an end of a tubular member for connection to a subsea structure is disclosed in Paper No. OIC-3074 entitled "Second End Flowline Connection Without Length Adjustment" presented at the Tenth Annual Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Tex., during the period of May 8-11, 1978, and that same apparatus is also disclosed in an article entitled "Laying Underwater Pipelines By Float and Chains Method" in the April, 1978 issue of Ocean Resources Engineering.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,297,165 to Ringel shows several versions of spacer members for locating one tubular member inside another tubular member.